Statement by CUNY Interim Chancellor William P. Kelly on American Studies Association’s Boycott of Israeli Universities

December 27, 2013

The free exchange of ideas is at the heart of the academic enterprise. Any effort to impede that flow is antithetical to the values that universities hold most dear. The City University of New York is proud of its many international collaborations and is committed to extending and deepening those relations. We take this opportunity to reaffirm our long association with Israeli scholars and universities, and we note with particular pleasure a new joint MBA program between the Zicklin School at Baruch College and the College of Management Academic Studies in Rishon LeZion. The need for global cooperation has never been more urgent, and we repudiate any effort to foreclose productive dialogue.